


The Meaning of Home

by BuckyAndDanno



Category: 9-1-1 (TV), Chicago Fire
Genre: Aunt Maddie, Big Brother Kelly Severide, Buck is a Severide, Christopher Diaz is Awesome, Dad!Buck, Eddie as a Squad Trainee, Evan "Buck" Buckley-Severide, Evan Acts With His Emotions, Fake Dating, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Lieutenant Evan Severide, M/M, Protective Maddie Buckley, Protective Matthew Casey, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Squad 3 Who?, Squad 7 Rules, The OTHER Instructor Severide, The OTHER Lieutenant Severide, Uncle Buck, eventual buddie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29989929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuckyAndDanno/pseuds/BuckyAndDanno
Summary: Post-Lawsuit. Buck can’t take the glares or the whispers behind his back any longer. He’s done fighting for a family who clearly don’t want him, or a home that feels like anything but.  So he heads back to Chicago and his brother, to the people he knows he can always rely on. But LA was always going to call him back, one way or another. Is five years enough time to put the ghosts to rest, and can something new blossom from the ashes?
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 11
Kudos: 195





	The Meaning of Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovelies! Here’s the first chapter of a new idea I’ve had in my head for a little bit – more Lt. Evan Buckley-Severide goodness, but with an Instructor Buck, Buddie twist. I really hope you like it :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own 9-1-1 or Chicago Fire.
> 
> Character List:  
> Buck: 33  
> Eddie: 35  
> Christopher: 13  
> Maddie: 35  
> Kelly: 36  
> Casey: 37  
> Shay: 35 when she died.  
> Emelia: 2  
> Sammie: 3

**_Change: To leave behind what one knows, in order to grow and develop._ **

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

Evan huffs softly down the phone, device clenched between his head and shoulder. “For the hundredth time, yes.” He checks off another item from Squad 7’s inventory, eyes raking down the list.

“I’m your sister.” Maddie huffs back. “It’s my job to be worried about you.”

“Yes, and Kelly’s too. So me telling you something for the hundredth time is actually me saying it for the two hundredth time. More if you add Matt into the equation.” Making another mark on the list, he calls over to another firefighter nearby. “Young! Bring out a jaws and a second halligan!”

“Got it Lieutenant!”

“LA nearly broke you, Evan.” Maddie responds, voice quiet. “I just don’t want to see you hurt again.”

“I know, I know.” He lets the clipboard fall to his side, hand grabbing the phone. Switching the call to video, he lets his sister’s face fill up the screen. Her brows are creased, face a mask of worry. He sighs. “Will you please stop looking at me like I’m making some huge mistake? It’s three months secondment. I’m not moving back for good.”

“I know, I know.” She parrots him, small smile appearing. “And I’m more than glad for it because it means I finally get to see my niece at a time when she’ll actually remember me. I just…”

“Worry.” Evan smiles back. “I know.”

“You can’t blame me, can you?”

His eyes crinkle in a mixture of amusement and despair. “I guess not. But honestly Mads, each course is six weeks. Intake of 24 per course. One house. It’s two courses total. Two houses.”

“And there’s 106 total in LA.” Matthew Casey adds, coming to stand over Evan’s shoulder. “Less than a 2% chance we get the 118.”

“Exactly.” Evan grins back at the camera as Matt continues through the apparatus floor. “I’ll be spending most of my time inside the training facility, or with you, or with Matt and Emmie, so…”

“Wait, Matt’s coming with you?” Maddie squints at the camera. “I thought it was Squad training?”

“He’s coming to oversee the training admin, but my Squad think it’s to keep an eye on us.” He laughs at that, catching Lucas making a face. He waves the other man off with a yell, “I thought you were on drills?!” Turning back to the camera, he shakes his head. “Three months with the best Squad team this side of the US who also happen to act like complete children.”

“Don’t let Kelly hear you say that.” Maddie laughs.

“Squad 3 who?” Evan grins. “Squad 7 solidarity, Mads.”

“I’m sorry who did you say acts like children?” She shakes her head. “And Matt trusts you more than anything.”

“Yeah, I know.” He smiles back at her. “Honestly, it’ll be nice to have the help with Emmie though.”

“Terrible two’s?” Maddie grins knowingly.

Evan rubs a hand over his face, just thinking of that morning where Emmie had decided it was a great idea to pull all the toilet roll off and flush it down the toilet. “You have no idea.”

“I think I do.”

“No.” He makes a face at the camera. “You never had this with Sammi.”

“True.” She laughs softly. “But you know who’d be willing to help with that while you’re here?”

“Maddie…”

She sighs. “Carla still misses you, you know? And Chris is a teenager now…”

“Don’t remind me.” He remembers the last time he spoke to the boy; gone the conversations about favourite video games, replaced by talk of AP classes and career day. “Look Mads, I gotta go. I’ll see you soon.” The clipboard is still hanging in his other hand, several boxes still remaining unchecked.

“Be safe.”

“Bye.” He clicks the red button, shoves the phone back in his pocket and sighs.

As much as he was looking forward to it, it was certainly going to be a long three months.

Eddie looks down at the letter in his hand for the tenth time that morning, a huge grin on his face, before reluctantly packing it into his satchel. The firefighter is practically bouncing with excitement, adrenaline flooding through his veins as he thinks of the new adventure that’s about to unfold before him.

He’d been shocked when Bobby had announced to the whole house about the LAFD’s intention to expand their Squad teams. Out of 106 houses, the LAFD only have 4 Squad teams to cover the entire city. At present, they were placed in areas that tended to get higher risk rescues allocated to them, but after the past few years they’d decided to tackle their need for further Rescue Squad units.

An earthquake and a tsunami hitting the city a year apart wasn’t exactly normal or easy to deal with, after all, and those had been five and six years ago now. Things had only continued to get crazier since.

The thought of the tsunami makes him think of Buck, and his heart clenches tightly. That summer had been one of the hardest times in his life, and it was a period that Eddie regretted deeply every day.

He only hoped that one day he would actually get to make amends for it.

That he would get to apologise to the man who was – and still remained, at least in Eddie’s eyes – his best friend.

In the meantime, he still continued to work towards being the best man – the best father and firefighter – that he could possibly be. The person who Buck had always thought him to be.

It had been a promise he’d made the day Buck disappeared, and it’s one he would never break.

But where it had started with therapy, it now continued with this; his new chapter with the LAFD.

A candidate for the 118’s new Squad unit.

To say he’d been shocked when Bobby had announced the LAFD’s intentions was one thing, but to have received the letter a few days prior, accepting him onto the course was a whole different story entirely.

Pride filled him, completely and wholly, and he was determined to give it his all.

After all, some of the CFD’s finest were coming all the way from Illinois to lead the 6 week course, and Eddie would be damned if he didn’t do the LAFD proud.

He makes sure he has everything he needs, shoots a quick text off to Bobby confirming he and Chris will be over for dinner later, and then heads into the kitchen, where Carla and Chris are having breakfast.

“Morning Mijo.” He presses a kiss to his boy’s head, then smiles at Carla. “Morning Carla.”

“Dad…” The teen grumbles, already dressed for school, scarfing down several pieces of toast.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Oh do deny me one little bit of affection before I go to work.”

Chris laughs softly for a brief second, and then his brows are furrowing as he looks at his Dad. “Work? I thought you didn’t have a shift today.”

“Plans change, Mijo.” Eddie responds. “I’m starting a new training course today.”

“Oh.” Chris replies, still frowning. “But we’re still going to Uncle Bobby’s later, right?”

“Of course. Nine til five, and not a minute later.”

“Well I think this is exciting.” Carla says, serving Eddie a plate of eggs, sausage and toast. “What course is it, Eddie?”

Eddie quickly stuffs a bite into his mouth, followed by a big slurp of coffee. “For the LAFD’s new Rescue Squad units. Pretty exciting huh?”

He misses the panicked look Chris throws towards Carla, eyes widening a fraction, in his haste to eat.

“Mm, yes.” Carla responds, also looking back at Chris. “How… lucky… you are.”

“It is.” Eddie agrees. “Out of 106 houses – well, 102 that didn’t already have Units – the 118 gets chosen, and I get accepted. Pretty crazy.”

“Real crazy.” Chris murmurs, gaze boring into his plate.

“Okay.” Eddie finishes his last mouthful, presses another kiss to Chris’ head, then grabs his bag and heads to the door. “Wish me luck!”

“Good luck.” Carla responds half-heartedly, not that Eddie notices in his rush out the door.

“You’re not gonna be the one needing it.” Chris says softly as the door closes, then looks up at Carla. “I need to call Buck…”

He can hear his phone ringing but he can’t for the life of him figure out where it’s coming from.

“I definitely left it on the table before I went to make another lot of coffee.” Evan grumbles, turning up every inch of their new rented house in search of the infernal device. “Unless I’m going mad…”

He scrubs a hand through his hair, moving down the hallway towards the bedrooms. “Case? Have you seen my – ”

He stops dead at Emmie’s room; specifically the half open child gate that he knows he locked after giving her breakfast, when he put her in her room to play so he could get ready.

“Emmie?”

There’s a giggle and a splash, and he knows immediately what he’s going to find as he races towards the bathroom; remembering with sudden clarity how he’d put his phone on **Emmie’s** dresser when getting her dressed.

“Emelia!”

The toddler stands at the toilet, empty hand hovering over it, cheeky grin on her face. “Moo-moo go splash!”

Evan groans, sweeping her up and settling her on his hip, while he bends down to retrieve his now waterlogged phone from the start of the U-bend.

Thankfully, she hadn’t flushed it yet.

The device is dripping, screen black, and he cannot believe how this day is starting already. “Case?! Can you pour me a bowl of rice?!”

He trudges back into the kitchen, Emmie babbling about Moo-Moo (the fond name for his phone as his ringtone was a cow) where Casey is now stood packing sandwiches. The older man pushes a bowl of rice towards him, and Evan quickly dunks his phone into it, then moves to the sink to wash his hand and arm.

“Would it be wrong of me to just remove all the toilets?” He says with a sigh. “Also, we’re gonna need to get a new child gate before we bring her back from Maddie’s.”

Casey chuckles. “We’ve been here less than two days and you’re already glad you picked a one-story, aren’t you?”

He is.

“I do not want to think about this little escape artist being anywhere near stairs.” Evan says softly, tickling Emmie’s stomach. The toddler giggles and wiggles in his grasp. “Daaaaaaa!!!”

He smiles widely, pressing a kiss to her cheek before placing her in the playpen in the living room. “Is it wrong that I’m not even mad?”

“I think you need to stop being so introspective and just accept that this is what being a parent is.” Casey responds, finishing up the food preparation and leaving three lunch bags on the side.

“Yep. I totally signed up for my phone and other items being waterlogged via toilet several times a week.” He laughs softly, though anyone who knows him can hear the sadness layered in his words.

He didn’t, actually, but they don’t talk about that. They don’t think about what might have been. He makes sure Emmie knows her mother and the rest…

The rest he blocks from his mind along with the reasons he ran from LA.

“I just hope Maddie knows what she’s getting herself into.”

Eddie pulls up at the LAFD Fire Academy, still wearing the broadest grin. He’s inside the building without a second thought, signing in and then being directed to the changing rooms and a locker. He shoves everything inside, gets his training gear on and then they’re into the main auditorium.

Battalion 11’s Chief barks at them to stand in formation, and as harsh as it would sound to someone not used to it, Eddie revels in the discipline and order.

It’s one of the reasons he had loved being in the army, had enjoyed Fire Academy.

It was one of the reasons why he’d applied for this.

Never let it be said that Edmundo Diaz didn’t love to learn and excel.

Or, in Hen’s words, show off some damn fine skills.

The Chief welcomes them back to the Academy, congratulates them on being accepted, and lays out how the course is going to run. “Some of you are already serving your house, others are new transfers chosen specifically for this opportunity, but all of you are some of the LAFD’s finest, and all of you are now training to become a member of Squad 5, which will be serving Station 118.”

Eddie feels the thrill of anticipation rush through him, and it takes everything he has to remain still, hands clasped behind him.

“Over the next 6 weeks, you will be tested beyond measure, and let me make this clear, just because you are here, does not mean you are cut out for Squad. Just because you are here, does not mean you are safe. Either you give this course your everything, or you go home, understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” The trainees call in unison.

“Your training will be conducted by one of the CFD’s finest Squad Units – Squad 7 – and your assessment by their Squad Lieutenant, and by one of their Fire Captains.” The Chief continues. “Three weeks training, followed by three weeks on the job experience, supervised by Squad 7. At the end of the six weeks, your fate will be decided. I only hope you all do the LAFD proud.”

He will. He’ll make damn sure of it.

“Now.” The Chief turns, gesturing up to the railings above them, where eight people are now stood. “Let me introduce you to the people you need to work to impress. Two of the CFD’s finest officers, from House 51. Lieutenant Evan Severide, and Captain Matthew Casey.”

Two of the members step forward, the dim light of the hall illuminating their features, and the blue and red patches on each of their respective jackets.

_Squad 7 – Lieutenant._

_Truck 81 – Captain._

Eddie’s focus is on the Lieutenant, blonde hair longer and curlier, but pink birthmark unmistakable. He has to hold back a gasp, grip his hands tighter to prevent them from shaking, eyes wide.

_‘Buck…’_

**Author's Note:**

> I was also gonna post a Buddie one-shot tonight but I’ve still got a little bit to finish, so that’ll be up tomorrow :)


End file.
